The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is offering Greater
Research Opportunities Graduate Fellowships for master’s
and doctoral level students in environmentally related fields
of study. The deadline for receipt of pre-applications is January
6, 2004 . Subject to availability of funding, the Agency plans
to award approximately 20 new fellowships by July 23, 2004. Master's
level students may receive support for a maximum of two years.
Doctoral students may be supported for a maximum of three years,
with funding available, under certain circumstances, over a period
of four years. The fellowship program provides up to $37,000
per year of support.

Applicants must be citizens of the United States
or its territories or possessions, or be lawfully admitted to
the United States for permanent residence. Resident aliens must
include their green card number in their pre-application. EPA
may choose to verify this number with the Immigration and Naturalization
Service.

Award Information:

Anticipated Type of Award: Fellowship
Estimated Number of Awards: 20
Anticipated Funding Amount: $740,000 per year, program total
Potential Funding per Fellow per Year: $37,000

Deadline/Target Dates:

Letter of Intent Due Date(s): None
Pre-Application Proposal Due Date(s): January 6, 2004

INTRODUCTION

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is offering GRO
Graduate Fellowships for master’s and doctoral level students
in environmentally related fields of study. The deadline for receipt
of pre-applications is January 6, 2004. Subject to availability
of funding, the Agency plans to award approximately 20 new fellowships
by July 23, 2004. Master's level students may receive support for
a maximum of two years. Doctoral students may be supported for
a maximum of three years, usable over a period of four years. A
Fellow may reserve any year over the four-year period to use an
alternative means of support or to engage in activities other than
graduate study. The fellowship program provides up to $37,000 per
year of support. This amount covers a monthly stipend of $1,667
for up to 12 months totaling $20,000 for the year, $5,000 for authorized
expenses, and up to $12,000 for tuition and fees. The actual amount
awarded per year will vary depending on the amount of tuition and
fees and the number of months the stipend is required.

The EPA invites pre-applications for graduate fellowships in academic
disciplines relating to environmental research including engineering,
and the physical, natural, life, and social sciences. A pre-application
provides the information needed by EPA to review the applicant’s
merit. Following the merit review, top-rated applicants will be
required to submit a brief formal application.

These fellowships are intended to help defray costs associated
with advanced environmentally oriented study leading to a master's
or doctoral degree. Instructions for completing and submitting
pre-applications are found in the sections that follow. Instructions
must be followed exactly or the submission will not be reviewed.

Purpose of the Program

This program was initiated to strengthen the environmental research
capacity of institutions of higher education that receive limited
funding to build such capacity, including in particular institutions
with substantial minority enrollment. The program provides quality
environmental education to graduate students, by encouraging them
to pursue careers in environmentally related fields. This goal
is consistent with the mission of EPA, which is to provide leadership
in the nation's environmental science, research, education, assessment,
restoration, and preservation efforts. This program will benefit
both the public and private sectors which will need a steady stream
of well-trained and culturally diverse environmental specialists
if our society is to meet the environmental challenges of the future.

ELIGIBILITY

Applicants must be citizens of the United States or its territories
or possessions, or be lawfully admitted to the United States for
permanent residence. Resident aliens must include their green card
number in their pre-application. EPA may choose to verify this
number with the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Students must attend eligible institutions

Students do not need to be enrolled in or formally accepted in
a full-time graduate program at the time they apply for a fellowship,
but proof of enrollment or acceptance must be produced prior to
the award of the fellowship. Students must be pursuing a master’s
degree or doctoral degree in an environmentally related field of
specialization (see fields of specialization below).

Students must attend fully accredited four-year U.S. institutions
of higher education that are not highly funded for development
of environmental research capacity. For purposes of this solicitation,
EPA considers such institutions to be those listed in the National
Science Foundation’s report “Federal Science and
Engineering Support to Universities, Colleges, and Nonprofit
Institutions: Fiscal Year 2001,” Table B-15 (http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/nsf03326/pdf/fssb15.pdf). Students at institutions receiving $50 million or less in
annual
federal
research and development funding, as designated in column 2 of
Table B-15 are eligible. The report can be found at http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/nsf03326/start.htm

Students at schools that have substantial minority enrollment
are particularly encouraged to apply. Examples of such schools
are those that the U.S. Department of Education lists as “Accredited
Postsecondary Minority Institutions” on its web site listed
below, consistent with Executive Orders 13125 (Increasing Participation
of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders), 13230 (Educational Excellence
for Hispanic Americans), 13256 (Historically Black Colleges and
Universities), and 13270 (Tribal Colleges and Universities), which
encourage building of the capacity of minority serving institutions
to provide high quality education.

(Note that of the schools on this list, only those that are four-year
baccaluareate-granting institutions with graduate degree programs
in one or more eligible academic fields are eligible to participate
in this fellowship program.)

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the school
is eligible before submitting a pre-application.

Students who have completed more than one year in the master's
program or four years in the doctoral program are not eligible.
Students enrolled in a master's program, however, may apply for
a doctoral fellowship.

Employees of the U.S. government must be able to prove separation
from Federal service before accepting this fellowship.

Acceptance of this fellowship does not necessarily preclude acceptance
of other scholarship, fellowship, traineeship, or grant aid. However,
this fellowship may not be awarded to anyone who will simultaneously
be receiving other federal assistance.

Tenure

The term of a graduate fellowship is negotiated with the students
and customarily covers a period of 9 to 12 months for each fellowship
year. Students seeking a master's degree may be supported for a
maximum of two years. Students seeking doctoral degrees may receive
support for a maximum of three years, available over a four-year
period.

STIPEND AND ALLOWANCES

The fellowship provides up to $37,000 per year of support. A maximum
of $74,000 will be provided for master's fellows (two years) and
up to $111,000 (three years) will be provided to doctoral students.
The $37,000 annual support covers stipend, tuition, and expenses
as follows:

Stipends: For the 2004-2005 academic year,
these will be $20,000 for 12-month tenures, and prorated monthly
at a maximum of $1,667 for shorter periods. Funds for unused
months are forfeited. Stipends are paid directly to the Fellow.
At its discretion, each fellowship institution may supplement
a Fellow's stipend from institutional funds in accordance with
the supplementation policy of the institution.

Tuition and Academic Fees: Up
to $12,000 per year will be paid directly to the institution.
For the purposes of this fellowship, health insurance is not
considered to be an academic fee. Health insurance costs may,
however, be paid from the expense budget.

Expense Allowance: Up to $5,000
will be provided to pay for items and activities for the direct
benefit of the student's education and research, such as for
health insurance, books, supplies, data analysis, publication
cost, equipment, (e.g., computers) travel to technical and scientific
meetings, and domestic and international travel required to conduct
the proposed research. Specific instructions regarding the disbursement
and management of the expense allowance will be provided during
the award process.

EPA Fellowship Conference

If requested, Fellows are expected to attend the EPA GRO Graduate
Fellows Conferences as long as they are in the program, unless
the immediate needs of their research project make attendance impractical.
Resources to support this travel are to be taken from the expense
allowance.

International Activities

The Fellows’ proposed research may be conducted outside
the United States. However, EPA allows only $5,000 for all expenses,
including travel. See "Stipends and Allowances" for details.
If at any time during the research project, it becomes necessary
for you to work outside the United States and its territories,
you must notify your Project Officer who will obtain the necessary
EPA and State Department approval before you can use fellowship
funds to conduct these activities. In addition, for travel to international
meetings, approval must be obtained from the EPA project officer.
Fellows who travel overseas will be required to comply with all
provisions of the Fly America Act.

THE GRO FELLOWSHIP APPLICATION PACKAGE

The application package for a GRO Fellowship consists
of three major parts: 1) the pre-application, 2) three (3) letters
of recommendation, and 3) a self-addressed, stamped postcard. The
pre-application provides the reviewers with information about you
and your proposed research, the letters provide support for your
pre-application, and the postcard enables us to keep you informed
about the status of your pre-application. This section provides
information you will need to complete each part of the application
package. All submitted information must be
written
in English.

Educational Levels

When completing the application package for a GRO fellowship you
will need to describe your educational level at the time
of submission.
Choose one of the following:

1. Entering Master's Student (EM)if you are applying for, or
enrolled in, a master's program and have completed less than one
year* toward this degree. 2. Entering Doctoral Student (ED) if you are applying for, or are
enrolled in, a doctoral program, have completed less than one year
toward this degree, and have no other graduate or professional
degree (e.g., MS, DVM, JD). 3. Doctoral Student (DS) if you are applying for, or enrolled in,
a doctoral program, have completed less than one year toward this
degree, but have completed another graduate or professional degree
(e.g., MS, DVM, JD). 4. Continuing Doctoral Student (CD) if you are enrolled in a doctoral
program and have completed more than one year, but less than four
years*, toward this degree.

*Students who have completed more than one year of their masters
or four years of their Ph.D. program at the time of application
are not eligible for this GRO fellowship.

MANDATORY FORMAT FOR PRE-APPLICATIONS

All pre-applications must be submitted exactly as described and
illustrated in this solicitation. If you fail to comply with
any of the instructions regarding format or content, your
pre-application will not be reviewed. All pre-applications
must be written in
English.

The pre-application part of your package consists of fourteen
(14) items. The pre-application must be completed using a 12-point
or equivalent typeface on 8-1/2 x 11-inch paper with one-inch margins
all around. Page limitations for individual components of the pre-application
are specified below. Do not exceed these limits or the proposal
will be ineligible. Do not submit materials permanently bound or
in ring binders. You must submit the original and six (6) copies
of all required materials.

ITEMS 1-8 COMBINED MUST NOT EXCEED ONE PAGE

Item 1 PERSONAL DATA -- provide your full name (last name first),
current address, permanent address, and home and work telephone
numbers. If you can be reached
by fax or e-mail, include that information as well. (Optional -- for statistical
reporting purposes only, we ask you to include your gender and race, e.g.,
African-American, White, Hispanic, Native American, Asian and Pacific Islander.)

Item 2 CITIZENSHIP STATUS -- state whether you are a U.S. citizen
or permanent resident. If you are a citizen, give the city
of your birth. If you are a
resident alien, provide your green card number. EPA may choose to verify
this information.

Item 3 DEGREE SOUGHT -- state either master's or doctoral (e.g.,
M.S., M.A., Ph.D., M.P.H.). Include the month and year you
expect the degree
to be awarded.

Item 6 TITLE -- provide a descriptive title for your research project,
or your research area of interest if the specific topic has not
yet been selected.
This title will be posted on the NCER web site in the event of an award.

Item 7 COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY, SCHOOL OR DEPARTMENT -- name and location
of the college/university, school or department from which your
degree will be obtained.

Item 8 CERTIFICATION OF INSTITUTION ELIGIBILITY -- indicate whether
your school appears on the Office of Civil Rights website and
if it is a four-year degree
granting institution with a recognized articulation agreement with a four-year
majority school.

Item 9 NAME AND ADDRESS OF GRADUATE ADVISOR -- if you have
a graduate advisor, give his or her name, address, and telecommunications
data, including phone,
fax, and e-mail, if available. If you do not yet have an advisor, write "NA."

ITEM 10 MUST NOT EXCEED ONE PAGE

Item 10 STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES -- explain your academic and career
goals and how your proposed course of study or research will help
you to achieve these
goals. Include any background information you believe is pertinent and provide
insight into why you have chosen the goals you are pursuing. You will be evaluated
on your dedication to your studies and to an environmentally oriented career.
This statement will also provide insight into your organizational, analytical,
and written communication skills.

ITEMS 11 & 12 COMBINED, MUST NOT EXCEED ONE PAGE

Item 11 EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE -- list the academic degrees you
have received or expect to receive in the near future, including
the date and the institution.
Also list relevant experience, including paid employment, military service,
internships, residencies, special studies, volunteer work, etc. Give dates
and a short description of your duties in each position, listing most recent
first. Give names and addresses of employers. List only relevant experience.

Item 12 PUBLICATIONS -- if you have published in the technical/scientific
literature, provide a bibliography here. If you have not yet
published, write "NA."

ITEM 13 MUST NOT EXCEED 5 PAGES

Item 13 NARRATIVE STATEMENT -- The narrative statement should reflect
your educational level. All students must include a description
of the scientific
and, if appropriate, the societal importance of their field of study. A detailed
research plan is required for continuing doctoral students, but is desirable
for all applicants. At a minimum, answer the following questions for the appropriate
educational level.

ENTERING MASTER'S STUDENT -- What are the degree requirements for
your program? What is your planned course of study during the
period of the fellowship? Do
you know if you will be undertaking a thesis/special project? If so, describe
it. If you do not know, what project would you like to propose? Why would it
be important? How is it relevant to the protection of human health and the
environment?

ENTERING DOCTORAL STUDENT -- What are the degree requirements for
your program? What is your planned course of study during the
period of the fellowship? If
you could select your dissertation topic this year, what would it be? Why would
it be important? How is it relevant to the protection of human health and the
environment?

DOCTORAL STUDENT -- What are the degree requirements for your program?
What is your planned course of study during the period of the
fellowship? If you
could select your dissertation topic this year, what would it be? Why would
it be important? How is it relevant to the protection of human health and the
environment? What are some of the most influential publications currently available
in this area?

CONTINUING DOCTORAL STUDENT -- What is your dissertation topic?
How is it relevant to the protection of human health and the
environment? Describe your dissertation
research project by addressing the following points:

A. Goal of research – What problem are you focusing
on and what is your hypothesis?
B. Rationale – What is the technical or societal need for this
research? What significant research has been published on this topic
and how do the
results relate to your project?
C. Approach – How will you test your hypothesis?
D. Expected results – What scientific or other benefits are expected
to result from this work?
E. Cited literature – Provide a list of cited literature, which
can be in addition to the 5- page limit.

ITEM 14 MAY USE AS MANY PAGES AS NECESSARY

ITEM 14 TRANSCRIPT INFORMATION -- Provide, in tabular form, the
following information from your transcripts: identify the institutions
at which the credits were
earned; dates, names and catalog numbers of courses taken; credit hours;
grades received; and cumulative GPA at each degree level. If possible, course
titles should not exceed the space available. Abbreviations are allowed.
If courses were audited or not completed, note this information. If any institution
you attended had a grading system different from the traditional "A,
B, C" system, explain the system in a succinct footnote to Item 14.
Do not leave anything out. Include data from your entire college career.
DO NOT INCLUDE COPIES OF YOUR TRANSCRIPTS. Top-ranked applicants will be
required to submit official copies of transcripts for validation prior to
the award of the fellowship.

Letters of Recommendation

Each application package MUST include three (3) reference letters,
written in English, from individuals who have knowledge of
your academic record. If
you have a sponsor or advisor in the program, one of these letters should
come from that individual. Letters of recommendation are critical
components of
the pre-application. Select your references carefully and urge them to
write unique letters specifically about you. Do not write the
letters yourself.
Letters that appear to be mass produced will not be ranked
highly by the reviewers.
At a minimum, the letters should address your academic performance and
potential, enthusiasm, thoughtfulness, and motivation in your
chosen field. It is always
useful if the writer also conveys a sense of who you are as an individual.
EPA is bound by regulation to require three (3) letters. If the pre-application
does not include three letters, it will not be reviewed. The original and
six (6) copies of each required letter must be contained in
an individual envelope
sealed by the writer and must be included in the pre-application package.
We will not accept reference letters sent separately.

Self-addressed and Stamped Postcard

Include a postcard in your package so that we can notify you
that your pre-application was received. If your postcard
with the identifying application number is
not returned within 30 days of the announcement deadline, you MUST
call 1-800-490-9194 to verify that your package was received.
If you do not include the postcard,
you will not be notified that we received your package.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

All pre-applications must be submitted in the exact format described.
All necessary information is provided in the instructions. To
illustrate the instructions,
a sample pre-application appears at the end of this announcement.

Pre-applications must include the original and six (6) copies
of each letter of reference enclosed in three individually
sealed envelopes, as described
above.

EVALUATION AND SELECTION PROCESS

The pre-applications and letters of recommendation will be reviewed
by non-EPA experts from the appropriate fields of study. Students
applying for fellowships
must select a single Sorting Code from the list provided. Reviewers are recruited
based on the specialty fields identified in the pre-applications.

Students at each educational level will be evaluated on his or
her potential for success in a graduate study program, based
on the information provided
in the pre-application as described above under “Mandatory Format for
Pre-Applications.” The reviewers will consider academic records, letters
of recommendation, and career goals and objectives.

Reviewers will recommend the best applicants from each of the four
(4) educational level categories. Finalists will be selected
for award of a fellowship based
on the availability of funds, reviewers' evaluations, and program goals,
such as distribution of awards across disciplines, institutions and geography,
degree
level being sought, and other possible indicators of program balance. Only
finalists will be required to submit the following:

3. Sealed official transcripts from all institutions (if so instructed
by EPA).

4. Fellowship Recipient Abstract - MUST NOT EXCEED 1 PAGE

When an award is made, the fellowship recipient must agree to provide
an electronic abstract for posting on NCER’s web site at the beginning
of the fellowship and an electronic final report, at the end of the research
project for web
posting. The following format must be used for the abstract.

5. Fellowship Recipient Final Report
If you are selected for a fellowship under this program, you will
be required to submit a final report in the following format
at the end of your fellowship. This report must be submitted
in electronic format.

Pre-applications must be received at EPA no later
than 4:00 p.m., EST, on January 6, 2004.
Pre-applications may be submitted by regular mail, express mail,
or uniformed courier
services.
If using regular mail, allow sufficient time for delivery since
applications MUST be at EPA by 4:00 p.m. EST on January
6, 2004.

If sending by regular or priority U.S. mail, send the original
AND SIX (6) COPIES of all required materials to:

Courier or personally delivered applications must be brought to
the Ronald Reagan Building, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington,
D.C. 20004. The courier must come to the EPA Visitor’s Lobby,
and tell the security guard that he/she has a delivery for the
EPA mail room. The courier will be required to sign a visitor’s
log, and will be directed to the EPA mail room. The mail room is
open 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. weekdays, exclusive of Federal holidays.
If the applicant requires a receipt for the delivery, you will
need to provide a form which the mail room personnel will sign.

NOTIFICATION AND AWARD DATES

If you comply with the requirement to include a stamped, self-addressed
postcard with your pre-application, you will be notified when we
receive your package. Subject to the availability of funding, awards
should be made by July 23, 2004, for the fall term.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

For additional information or assistance in preparing your pre-application,
first consult the "Frequently Asked Questions” (FAQs)
on the NCER Home Page (http://epa.gov/ncer). EPA also maintains
a toll-free telephone number which allows individuals to leave
a recorded message or question. These will be answered through
a return telephone call. To access this service, dial 1-800-490-9194.

SAMPLE PRE-APPLICATION

The pages that follow constitute a sample pre-application for
graduate fellowships.

NOTE!!!! Smart as he is, this hypothetical student probably
would NOT receive an EPA fellowship because his curriculum
has no obvious
relationship to environmental concerns or the disciplinary
degree he is seeking. His only chance would be if his narrative
statement
clearly made that connection. The purpose of this sample
is to demonstrate format, not content.

10. Statement of Objectives: This is a written account of your academic and
environmental career goals, in which you relate your past accomplishments
and future plans, and describe how your proposed plan of study or research
will tie these together. The quality of this section is a key criterion for
review, so be as articulate and thorough as possible.

Derek Gilmore, our hypothetical candidate, must provide a detailed
scope of work for his proposed research, because he is a continuing
Ph.D. student.
He
may not exceed five pages in describing the goals, rationale, approach, and
references for his project.